About

Xi'an, Shaanxi, China

34.3618109.213

Huaqing Hot Springs or the Huaqing Pool are a complex of hot springs located in an area characterized by mild weather and scenic views at the northern foot of Mount Li, one of the three major peaks of the Qin Mountains. The Huaqing hotspring pools are located approximately 25 km east of Xi'an (formerly Chang'an, the western capital of the Tang Dynasty), now in the province of Shaanxi, China. Built in 723 by Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang dynasty as part of the Huaqing Palace.

The hot springs became famous as the supposed scene of Xuanzong's love story with his Precious Consort Yang Guifei. The Huaqing Pool utilizes natural geothermal heating, as was taken advantage of by the rulers of various Chinese dynasties. This site was the scene of the Xi'an Incident in 1936, when Chiang Kai-shek was kidnapped by former warlord Zhang Xueliang and forced to participate in a United Front with the Chinese Communist Party to oppose Japanese encroachment on China. Huaqing Pool is now an important tourist spot, classified as a AAAAA scenic area by the China National Tourism Administration.